This invention provides an advancement in the art of brake design, such that a brake may be heated electrically thereby preventing it from freezing. More specifically this invention pertains to heating electrically an aircraft multi-disk brake assembly.
Problems of freezing brakes have become more noticeable with the increased used of carbon and composite carbon brake disks in place of steel disks. This problem arises more frequently with carbon than steel disks or friction members because of the differences in materials. Carbon being more porous than steel tends to absorb and hold more water, thus making carbon brakes more susceptible to freezing. The extremely cold temperatures experienced during high altitude flight may cause the rotating and the stationary disks in a carbon brake assembly to freeze their friction surfaces together, thereby locking the brake and causing the aircraft to go into a skid upon landing. With the brakes frozen in this manner the antiskid safeguards will not work, causing a very hazardous situation until the brakes can free themselves.
Currently some aircraft indirectly heat the landing gear assembly by bleeding off and ducting heat from the engine of the aircraft to the landing gear bay. This heat is then blown over the landing gear assembly. This invention eliminates the duct work and the heating of the whole landing gear assembly, while providing heat within the brake assembly itself to prevent the disks from freezing together.